---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: they were a closed society, not ready…"
description: "\"“they were a closed society, not ready even for a biological intruder”\" — Michael Pye"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/michael-pye-48945_quote_they-were-a-closed-society-not-ready-eve_2045666.jpg"
---

#  they were a closed society, not ready even for a…

![“they were a closed society, not ready even for a biological intruder” quote by Michael Pye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/michael-pye-48945_quote_they-were-a-closed-society-not-ready-eve_2045666.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/michael-pye-48945_quote_they-were-a-closed-society-not-ready-eve_2045666.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/michael-pye-48945_quote_they-were-a-closed-society-not-ready-eve_2045666.jpg)

> ““they were a closed society, not ready even for a biological intruder””

[Michael Pye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pye/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Closed societies resist even harmless outsiders, fearing disruption.

**In simple terms:** Closed societies reject outsiders.

Key Takeaway

Foster openness.

Themes

society exclusion change

Mood

cautious concerned

Type

sociological analytical

When to use this quote

- immigration policy
- community outreach
- education reform

Key Concepts

conservatism fear of other social cohesion

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do societies close themselves?
- How can openness be introduced gently?

A Different Perspective

Resistance may be rooted in legitimate concerns.

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> [There are times ... when any visitor - in person, by phone, by mail - is an intruder, a burglar, a space hogger, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-cade-bambara/there-are-times-when-any-visitor-in-person-by-phone-by-mail-is-an/)

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> [I seem to myself, among civilized men, an intruder, a troglodyte enamored of decrepitude, plunged into subversive prayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/i-seem-to-myself-among-civilized-men-an-intruder-a-troglodyte/)

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## More by Michael Pye

> [“the house had been set up by two countesses ‘by divine inspiration, as it is piously believed’, to preserve the respectability of women who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pye/the-house-had-been-set-up-by-two-countesses-by-divine-inspiration-as/)

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Browse all 326 Closed quotes

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